DIE NEUEN SCHWEDEN 2019

DIE NEUEN SCHWEDEN return this summer for the fifth time! Together with the Swedish educational institute SENSUS we invite three new Swedish bands to Berlin for three days at the end of August to take them on an exciting “Music Industry Crawl” through the capital.

We’ll take a look behind the scenes of the Berlin music industry, meet labels, agencies, venues, radio stations and journalists. As this is an educational project, the young musicians will also take part in workshops in which they will learn useful tips and tricks for press work and profiling. The highlight of these three exciting days is the showcase DIE NEUEN SCHWEDEN, which the bands will play as a free event in the URBAN SPREE on 28 August!

Again this year there were about 100 applications for the project. An exclusive jury has now selected DIE NEUEN SCHWEDEN for 2019. The members of the jury were:

Sophia Tako (Stockholm)

Sophia Tako is an artist and producer who creates with the purpose of elevating her listener. With a tender closeness in her vocals and beautiful harmonies she sings to heal. Quoting one of her big inspirations Maya Angelou she says “I come as one, but stand as ten thousand”. With this she says that the harmonies in her music represents her ancestors and how they now sing through her.

With an ambient sphere contrasted by heavy beats and bass Sophia confidently builds emotional rooms for the listener to enter through her music. Thanks to the inspiration her multicultural background offers she confidently walks the thin thread between assumed genres. Her musical inspiration comes from artist like Solange, Kelela and Erykah Badu. Strong women who bravely stand in their own creativity and message.

Sophia Tako creates for the freedom and beauty of being yourself and she sings with the voices of the ten thousand before her.

Julia Rakel (Malmö)

Umeå-via-Malmö Swedish musician and producer Julia Rakel is the latest addition to Stockholm indie label Rama Lama Records’ (Melby, Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) roster. Debut single “PDFILWM” was released in January and have since grabbed the attention from influential Swedish media as well as international blogs, calling it a “lo-fi gem”.

Julia works at the well-known Malmö studio “Tambourine” and her credits include sound design and music for the award-winning short film Plankton. With her expertise as a producer she’s refined her stripped-down sketches to a daydreaming beautiful soundscape that develops with every listen. This, put together with Julia’s individual vocals and often ironic lyrics, create a intimate and memorable sound that there will be plenty more of during the upcoming months.

Kape Yeel (Östersund)

Kape Yeel, a trio of brothers consisting of Linus Malmsten, Kevin Stålberg and Theo Malmsten, was founded in the small village of Kläppgärde outside of Östersund in early 2019. At the end of March, they released their debut single “Tatterdemalion” and a month later it was followed by their second, “Givin In To You, Life”.

The band is always striving to be as sonically and visually engaging to their audience, no matter if it is through music, videos or photography. So far, their collected work has been described as very catchy, with a retro-pop vibe. During the summer of 2019, the band is planning on releasing their debut EP.